Shoe-stretcher.



l I i E. PETERSON.

SSSSSSSSSSSSS 1 n IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 0v. 111111 0. 4 1,010,685; v Patented Dec.5, 1911.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAP" cu. WASHINGTON. n C

OFFICE 'Ennnnn PETERSON, or pnnsmomns, rown.

* snon-s rnnronnn;

sp cifications; I etters liatent.

' Patented Dec. 5,1911.

Applicationfiledflovenibrilh, 1910. Serial No. 593,261.

citizen of the nited States, ,residing-iat Des Moines, ,in :the .county ,of Folk and :State of Iowa, have invented va certain new and usefulShoe-Stretcher, of which the fiollowing is a specification.

'Tt he object of my invention is to provide an improved ;-a11d useful shoe stretcher of simple construction, comprising an ordinary shoe last with *the heel portion cut away, composed of stwo members, ordinary means :for spreading the same apart laterally, -a heel portion of said stretcher designed to ,engage the counter of the ,shoe and :to pre- Went any -,backward inotiiont-of the last mean-- here while :the shoe is being stretched laterally.

A further objectiis ito provide simple, durable and inexpensive means 01 -,adjusting said flieel portion of the stretcher {in any desired {position of its rearward or forward m vement with relation :to t e last po t o thereof, iandameans 0 r 0 ing it ifirm y i said adjusted :position.

A :fifurther object is :to provide simple, in-

expensive :and teflicient \means :for dimiting the lateral movement of the-members 01: the last.

My invention consists imcertain details, in the construction, aarrangementiand ,combina- :tlOIl Ofthe VflflOllSfPflIfi S of thedevice, whereby the objectscontemplatedare attained, ;as hereinafter :more fully set dorth, pointed :out in-my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 showska iside ielevatio'n of -:a stretcher g embodying my invention and h ing one :laSt .ameniloer removed, tthe spreading block being shown in 'aSQClZlQIl. Fig. 2 shows an inverted, plain (view [of may improved shoe stretcher, {and Fig. 3 shows :a lin lReferring.-;to=.the accompanying drawing 1 have :used :the ireferenoe numeral 11 to indicate a metal red, zflhe zlower length of which is threaded :and Which :has at {the other end a cross :bar or.,-h andle 1,2. ,Atdghe lower end of said mod is aispreading block ".18 substantially triangular in es'hape and rotatably mountedwonxth-e'rod v13 at the center 0fone :of its sides at 13 The other-sides ofzthe spree dingiblock al3z'are slightly-wounded. Above the' blook;1 8, von the rod =11,;is a cross PblOGk 114 having :an opening :14 which is threaded. The rod 11 passes through the opening lit of the :cross block 1,4, the threads on :the rod being in engagement with the threads ,on the inner surface of the cross block which is designed to Work ,freely on the rod ,11. .each side ,of the cross block 14,;11'6 arms 16. flfhestretching device just described is ofthe ord nary construction used Joy shoe :dealers.

The numeral 18 indicates a ,bar preferably made with .a .central flange ;on its upper surface, :the said flange having teethor-notches 23 on its upper side. At one endof the bar ,18 is an upwardly extending block 19 Which is rounde upe i rear s rface va i esigned to engage and fit the counter of -a shoe, iand which has the upper portion of its inne o f on su fa e 50 slightly ou awayand is designed atthat point to permit thegfinger of-theoperatorto engagethe said block when it is placed position against 'ithe plate 25 for the purpose of sliding the block a d the b 8 re nwardly. :Upon the bar 18, substantially midway ,Qf its length, is-a Qross plate v33 having wings 3 nd- Extending laterally from downwardly extending flange 3,46 construct-V fid with .311 qpening 5 0 through which is passed the ,bar IS-and which is designed to .work ireelyon. said loarand serves as a guide ,for same. -The Wings 33 are constructed with openings .35 substantially rectangular in shape and designed to work freelylupon vpins or "screws 3a which are driven or screwed -fir1nly into the lastmembers 20 and ,21 hereinafter described, the said wings thus permitting a limited lateral movement of Qthe said last ,members. 7

The numeral lOindicates the bodyofan ordina1 y shoemakeris ,last, -the ,heel portion -of which .is ;lacking, ,that ,is divided longitudinally into members i 20 and 21. Grooves 41 are cut inrthe adjacent surfaces of :the members 20 and 21 'extending v from the lower part of the last near the toe upwardly and rearwardly through the last members The gllIOd :l': :is placed in the said grooves, the

.sidestof ;-the grooves being parallel to and {spaced slightly apart from the surface of the rod ,l-l designedto permit said rod ;to work freely l Ilztlle grooves. Said grooves taretcnt ,wider at a ;point neartthe ,uppenand reatard end @thereof, the sides of the grooves atgthis point being parallel -to the surfaces, of the cross block 14 and engaging zthesa'id-block frictionally when the stretcher is in aznorma'l :position- The a tmemb 20 and 21 are constructed with openings 42 of the same shape as the arms 16 of the cross block 14 and corresponding thereto, in which openings the arms 16 Work freely.

The rod 11 and the spreading bar 13, as well as the parts of the last in which they are received are of the ordinary construction used in shoe stretchers.

At the rear of the last members is a plate 25 which is hinged at its sides to the last members 20 and 21 by the hinges 31 and 30 respectively. The said plate and the hinges 31 and 30 permit the members 20 and 21 to spread apart at the toe end while preventing any separation at the rear end. Extending downwardly from said plate 25 is a tongue 14 through which is cut an opening 45 in which the bar 18 is slidingly mounted. On the inner surface of the plate 45 are lugs 26 in which the pin 27 hereinafter described is slidingly mounted in upright position.

In the under surfaces of the members 20 and 21 are grooves 17 and 17 the grooves in the member 21 corresponding to the grooves in the member 20 when the adjacent faces of said members are placed together, the said grooves being cut with their sides adjacent to and spaced slightly away from the bar 18 which is placed therein. On the lower surfaces of the members 20 and 21 the grooves 46 and 47 extend laterally from the grooves 17 and 17 and are designed to receive the wings 33 of the plate 33. The members 20 and 21 have on their rear surfaces corresponding vertical grooves 28 designed to receive the lugs 26 and the pin 27 The pin 27 is slidingly mounted in the lugs 26. The pin 27 is preferably cylindrical in form for part of its length be tween the lugs 26 while it is larger and preferably rectangular in cross section in its lower length bet-ween said lugs. The form of the pin 27 may be varied, the form shown being simply one possible construction. Between the lugs 26, upon the smaller portion of the pin 27, is mounted a spiral spring 32. The lower end of the pin 27 is formed to fit c-losely'in the teeth or notches 23 and is normally held in engagement therewith by the spring 32. As will be seen from thedrawings, the notches 23 and the lower end of the pin 27 are so constructed that the bar 18 may be moved rearwardly without any necessity for the operators lifting the pin while it is necessary to raise the pin to move the bar 18 forwardly, the notches 23 being cut with a perpendicular face toward the toe portion and with a slanting surface extending from the bottom of the notch upwardly and forwardly, the end of the pin 27 being made to conform to the shape of such notches. This form of the notches is preferable but may be varied to suit theconvenience of the maker providing that in any case the notches should be so made as to engage the pin 27 in such a manner that forward motion of the bar 18 cannot be had except by the operators raising the pin 27. The upper end of the said pin may be bent at right angles to its main shank or may be constructed with a head or block to furnish convenient means whereby the operator of the stretcher may raise it and disengage its lower end from the notches 23.

In the operation of my stretcher the last is placed in a shoe; the block 19 at the end of the bar 18 is placed in position against the counter of the shoe and is adjusted and held firmly in any desired position by means of the pin 26 which is normally held in engagement with the teeth 23 by the spring 32; the rod 11 is turned in the block 14; and the threads of said block act upon the threads of the rod 11 and force the spreading block 13 downwardly between the last members 20 and 21. The spreading block 13 engages the said members and spreads them laterally apart at their forward ends as the greater width of the spreading block is forced downwardly into the tapering end of the groove 41. In this way the shoe is stretched laterally while the last 10 cannot move backwardly.

As above described the bar 18 may be easily adjusted in any desired position of its movement by the operator who can push on the block 19 and slide the said block and the bar 18 rearwardly. A forward movement of the bar 18 is prevented by the pin 27 which may however be readily raised by the operator and the bar 18 moved forwardly with relation to the last members.

By means of the plate 33 and the pins or screws'3 1 the lateral movement of the members 20 and 21 is limited and the inconvenience of a wide spreading apart of the said members is avoided. The flange 34: of the plate 33 and the tongue 14:, of the plate 25 in which the bar 18 is slidingly mounted, serve as guides for said bar.

My improved shoe stretchers are preferably constructed in pairs designed to fit right and left shoes. By using a last made to fit a right or left shoe respectively the shoe is stretched to fit the foot, whereas if the same last is used for both right and left shoes either one or both shoes will be stretched out of the proper shape. Plugs with short shanks may be set in holes in the sides of the last as in any ordinary shoe stretcher for the purpose of stretching the leather of any small area.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, an ordinary shoe makers last with the heel portion cut away, divided longitudinally into two members, said last members being constructed with longitudinal grooves on their lower surfaces which are adjacent to each other when the surfaces of the last members areplaced together; a plate hinged to the outer sides of the respective members at their rear ends, a downwardly extending lug on said plate constructed with an opening therein, a bar slidingly received in saidgrooves and slidingly mounted in the opening in said lug constructed with notches or.

teeth 011 its upper surface, a vertical pin slidingly mounted on said plate and designed to engage such teeth or notches, and to prevent the forward movement of said bar,'

v two members, a plate extending across the rear surface of said last members and hinged to the outer sides thereof, constructed with a central downward extension and with lugs extending at right angles from its surface, a longitudinal bar slidingly mounted in said downward extension, constructed with notches on its upper surface, said notches being cut with vertical surfaces toward the toe of the stretcher, an upwardly extending block secured to the rear end of said bar and designed to engage the counter of the shoe, a vertical pin slidingly mounted in the lugs on said plate designed to engage the notches of said bar, and means for exerting yielding pressure on said pin to hold it in normal engagement with said notches.

Des 'Moines, Iowa, Nov. 16, 1910.

ERLAND PETERSON. Witnesses:

A. G. HAGUE, W. A. Lor'rus.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

